Beat the Bite: 5 Pest Expert Tips for Preventing Tick Bites and Lyme Disease

Ticks are known to thrive in warm weather, so the risk of getting a tick bite is at its highest in the summer months. Ticks can often be dangerous, transmitting a variety of illnesses, including Lyme Disease the most common one. 

Symptoms of Lyme Disease include fever, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash, which if left untreated, can lead to more severe health issues like joint pain and neurological problems. Being proactive can save you from many of the potential health risks.

Here are 5 pest expert tips to help prevent getting bitten by a tick: 

1. Wear Protective Clothing

When venturing into tick-prone areas like campgrounds, fields, gardens, and hiking trails, wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks. Light-colored clothing is also ideal because it makes it easier to spot ticks. Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants to create a barrier that makes it harder for ticks to latch onto your skin.

2. Use Tick Repellents

If your children attend summer camp in wooded areas, make sure to apply a tick repellent to their skin and clothing to keep ticks at bay. Look for repellents containing DEET. Remember to follow the product instructions for safe and effective use.

3. Perform Regular Tick Checks

After spending time outdoors, thoroughly check your body, your children's bodies, and your pets for ticks. Pay special attention to hidden areas such as the scalp, behind the ears, and underarms.  Prompt removal of ticks reduces the risk of Lyme Disease transmission. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull upward with steady pressure.

4. Maintain Your Yard

Ticks love tall grass, leaf piles, and wooded areas. Keeping your yard well-maintained can significantly reduce the presence of ticks. Mow your lawn regularly, clear leaf litter, and create a barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas. Additionally, keeping play areas and patios away from shrubs, bushes, and other vegetation can help minimize tick exposure.

5. Get Started with our Groundbreaking New LymeGuard+ Program 

While taking preventive measures is important, professional tick control services offer a more advanced and effective solution. JP McHale's LymeGuard+ is our most advanced program featuring our innovative new LymeShield system, which works to stop the cycle of infected ticks spreading diseases by inoculating mice against Lyme Disease. You’ll also receive our premier Organic Tick & Mosquito service plan as part of the LymeGuard+ program, providing you with greater peace of mind so that your children and pets can safely play outside without the fear of contracting a tick-borne illness.

For more information on our LymeGuard+ call (347) 309-5947 or email sales@nopests.com.